by Lorna Anthony, Deputy Head Ackworth School
The Bridge Film Festival Ackworth School was delighted to host this year’s Festival on 28th March. To celebrate the 10th Anniversary, the Festival was held in England as the birthplace of Quakerism. We welcomed students and staff
from Friends' Schools in the USA – Brooklyn (New York), Sidwell (Washington) and Tandem (Virginia), the newest Quaker school. We were also joined on the evening by guest speaker Charles Sturridge and representatives of the Yorkshire Quaker Arts Projects.
There were 28 film entries from 14 schools in 5 countries. The entries “should reflect Quaker values or have Quaker resonance”. The topics were diverse and included Time, Integrity, Friendship, Violence, Bullying, Helping Others and Love. Global issues such as conservation, recycling, use of resources and sustainable agriculture also featured strongly.
The film viewing was highly entertaining and thought-provoking and was followed by a gala dinner and awards. Charles Sturridge spoke with great enthusiasm of his work as a filmmaker. He has directed films for cinema and TV including Brideshead Revisited, Gulliver’s Travels, Longitude, No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Lassie, Where Angels Fear to Tread and many more. This was an extremely enjoyable festival and a fine example of Quaker outreach. Congratulations to all who took part. It was a pleasure and a privilege to host the event and to build bridges with Friends’ schools across the Atlantic.
